People think Kendall Jenner's latest Instagram photo is photoshopped but we're not so sure

You probably broke the law on Snapchat this weekend

Enthusiastic fan of Jilly Cooper, books, horses and singing. Not a made-up person.

Tuesday 29 March 2016

We've all done a sneaky Snapchat screengrab, but be careful what you do with it afterwards. A Government minister has confirmed that it is illegal to share Snapchat snaps without the creator's permission, and, if the snap is of a sexual nature, you could face up to two years in prison.

If someone shares their own snap on another social media platform first, then you can share that, by embedding a tweet, or regramming, for example.

Advertisement

However, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said that anyone who screenshotted and shared a snap without permission could be sued for breach of copyright, and face a prison sentence.

Writing in response to a question posed by DUP MP Jim Shannon last year, Mr Vaizey said: "Under UK copyright law, it would be unlawful for a Snapchat user to copy an image and make it available to the public without the consent of the image owner. The image owner would be able to sue anyone who does this for copyright infringement."

Read next

These toners will give you the best skin of your life

Your skin will thank us

1 day ago

Copyright infringement is punishable by 10 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine, although this is significantly reduced in magistrates' courts, to six months in prison and a maximum fine of £50,000.

Vaizey also highlighted that "the disclosure of private sexual photographs or films without the consent of an individual who appears in them and with intent to cause that individual distress, is an offence under Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.

"Those convicted could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison."

He reiterated Snapchat's advice that users avoid sending messages "which they would not want to be saved or shared".